Mama M's Cucina

We had our menu planning meeting with my dinner exchange group and planned out the rest of the year.  I've decided to start going shopping once a month (with the exception of milk and produce) so my weekly menu will include Saturday and Sunday now. Trying to get a little more organized and save some money.

Sunday: Crock Pot Italian Chicken
Monday: Baked Potato Bar with Chilli, Cheese and Brocolli
Tuesday: Cafe Rio Pork Sandwiches (see post below for recipe), Potato Salad & Corn on the Cob
Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday: TBA
Friday: Sloppy Joes, Veggie & Chips
Saturday: Ministroni Soup

Build your salad in the following order.
1. Large Flour Tortillas - Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and cook until the cheese is melted.
2. Spanish Rice - See recipe below or use a mix or your own
3. Black Beans - See recipe below
4. Pork
5. Romaine Lettuce - Cut into large squares
6. Pico de Gallo - See recipe below
7. Guacamole
8. Lime Wedges
9. Grated Cotija cheese (The market was closed today so I'm going with cheddar)
10. Cilantro sprigs
11. Crispy Tortilla Strips - Cut up some corn tortillas and quickly fry.
12. Creamy Tomatillo Dressing - See recipe below

Cilantro Lime Rice
3 c water
3 c rice
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
¼ cup lime juice
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, remove large stems
1 small can green chiles

Place water, rice, bouillon, and salt in pot. Bring to boil. Place lime juice, onion, garlic, cilantro and green chilies in a blender and puree. Stir into rice. Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes.


Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 Tbl finely mined onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup tomato juice
3 Tbl chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 tsp salt
Fry onion, garlic and cumin in a small amount of olive oil. Add beans, tomato juice, cilantro and salt and heat through.

Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa
Pork Roast: Put it in a crock pot with a little water and cook until very tender (about 8 hours on low).

Shred pork and add:
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can Coke (not diet coke)
1 cup brown sugar
salt to taste

Cook for one more hour.


Pico de Gallo
4 ripe Tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 jalapeno, minced (remove the seeds and veins if you don’t like a lot of heat)
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
lime juice, to taste
salt, to taste
Mix everything together.


Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 package Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup Mayonnaise (You can use 1/2 Mayo and 1/2 sour cream)
3 fresh tomatillos
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Put everything in a blender and puree.
Refrigerate for a couple of hour. If you need to add more buttermilk to thin it out or sour cream to make it thicker.

Last week's Dorito salad was fantastic.  As soon as I get the recipe for it I will post it here. 

Here's this week's menu
Monday:  Chicken Parmesan, pasta, salad and garlic bread
Tuesday: Cafe Rio Pork Salads (see next post for recipe)
Wednesday: Hamburger gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and desert.
Thursday: TBA (I'll post as soon as I get it)

Looks like a great week with yummy food!